Richard
Final Approach
- Joined
- Feb 27, 2005
- Messages
- 9,076
- Location
- West Coast Resistance
- Display Name
Display name:
Ack...city life
For about one month a trailer has been stationed on the airport. It's used to track and command balloons which ascend up to 80,000'.
Just now I had a chance to talk to one of their controllers. The balloons are used for a variety of civilian and military applications. They provide a two way data link and communications for isolated areas.
One end user is the Navajo Nation which uses this system for glucose monitoring in widely separated, isolated, small communities. Another is USFS who uses pagers for real time comm in mtn terrain. Also available is internet access to remote locations.
The signal operates in the 901-940 MHz frequencies and are capable of 2MB flash data.
The balloons ascend at 1,000 fpm and typically the ceiling is reached 40 nm downrange from the launch site. At least one balloon every 24 hours is launched but sometimes up to 8 balloons within 24 hours. The launch site is selected as appropriate to each contracting user. Basically, the launch site is permanent for the duration of the contract.
The ground-based controller can control the balloon through radio commands to release quantities of the 1/2 lb sand ballast and venting of the helium balloon. The balloon also features a battery operated propeller which can apply torque to aim the data link at a specific ground station.
The balloon envelope is 8' Ht on the ground but expands to 40' Ht at altitude. Various ranchers and a few dairymen in OK and IA are contracted to release the balloons as required. In this area the balloons are launched from Cedar City and retrieved as far as Albuquerque.
http://www.spacedata.net/
Just now I had a chance to talk to one of their controllers. The balloons are used for a variety of civilian and military applications. They provide a two way data link and communications for isolated areas.
One end user is the Navajo Nation which uses this system for glucose monitoring in widely separated, isolated, small communities. Another is USFS who uses pagers for real time comm in mtn terrain. Also available is internet access to remote locations.
The signal operates in the 901-940 MHz frequencies and are capable of 2MB flash data.
The balloons ascend at 1,000 fpm and typically the ceiling is reached 40 nm downrange from the launch site. At least one balloon every 24 hours is launched but sometimes up to 8 balloons within 24 hours. The launch site is selected as appropriate to each contracting user. Basically, the launch site is permanent for the duration of the contract.
The ground-based controller can control the balloon through radio commands to release quantities of the 1/2 lb sand ballast and venting of the helium balloon. The balloon also features a battery operated propeller which can apply torque to aim the data link at a specific ground station.
The balloon envelope is 8' Ht on the ground but expands to 40' Ht at altitude. Various ranchers and a few dairymen in OK and IA are contracted to release the balloons as required. In this area the balloons are launched from Cedar City and retrieved as far as Albuquerque.
http://www.spacedata.net/
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